Geagea Says to Boycott ‘Misleading’ Baabda Meeting

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea announced on Wednesday his boycott of Thursday’s national dialogue meeting in Baabda.

“We will not take part in a meeting only aimed at throwing ashes in the eyes. The Lebanese people are in disagreement with the authority because of what it brought us to,” said Geagea in a press conference announcing the boycott.

“None of us was able to estimate the purpose of the meeting in Baabda tomorrow,” he said, adding that the focus of officials is totally distant from the measures needed to solve Lebanon’s multiple crises.

“The officials are in one place and the situation in the country is in a totally different one. Some people have one main concern nowadays. To eat,” he added.

“We as Lebanese have reached a point we never witnessed before, maybe only in World War I. We are Republicans with distinction and we place great importance on working in the Parliament and Cabinet, and in the participation with the President. From this perspective, we participated in the May 6 meeting in Baabda, which had a clear agenda,” said Geagea.

The LF chief addressed the President urging him to intervene whenever Lebanon’s civil peace is threatened.

“You have the authority, your Excellency and you must intervene when security is threatened. We always ask ourselves until this very day, why didn’t you interfere when half the capital of Beirut was smashed? What is the purpose of the meeting you called for?” concluded Geaega.

The LF chief said that Lebanon is enduring multiple crippling crises that made the country unrecognizable.